Trying to figure out how we can go to Hawaii in 2014

All right. I totally own that this is a first-world problem. I wouldn't even claim it to be a problem. I've been to Hawaii just about every year since for a little over a decade. I went with girlfriends for the first time in 2002 and absolutely fell in love. Since then, there are only two years I haven't gone to Hawaii: in 2007 because we were saving up for wedding the following year and last year because we were moving and buying a house. I really don't want to have this happen again in 2014!
Before 2002, I had no interest in going because I didn't have any friends or family who lived there and if I was going anywhere tropical, it would be the Philippines. But my girlfriend from college planned a trip and it sounded like fun. I had also started dancing hula in the fall of 2001 and it was an expectation to immerse myself in Hawaiian culture if I was going to dance hula. I also just finished having a huge crush on a boy from Hawaii. That shouldn't matter but I would be lying if I didn't say it didn't influence the situation. 
As I mentioned, I fell in love with Hawaii even though I only visited Oahu for four days (I also concluded that four days is not enough time when vacationing there.)

Both our first times in Hawaii! I remember we were dying to get on the beach. This is a dear college and sorority friend. She was also a big time partyer! Now she is happily married with a beautiful little girl. Crazy how things change.

I think this was one of our best excursions. We scored this free boat ride by attending one of those time share breakfasts:) 

In 2003, The Man and I decided to celebrate our one year anniversary as a couple by going to Maui. Wow, even though we were making far less back then, I suppose to balanced the fact that we also had far less debt. Anyway, we decided that we would celebrate our anniversary in Hawaii. While Maui is a lovely island, I will always remember this vacation as the one time in our relationship we nearly broke up. I suppose it was a combination of being young, us not living together at that time, and spending an entire week together for the first time. Thanks be, we survived our massive argument that actually came back to California with us.
Overall, it was a nice vacation but I think we should have a do-over so our Maui experience can be untarnished. Yes, that's exactly the reason why we should go back!

At the Old Lahaina Luau (It was fine but better for a huge group of friends who just want to have fun. I strongly recommend Feast at Lele for couples or people who want a really good meal.)

NOT actually taken in 2001. Man, my then-boyfriend was a hottie! This was taken in Lahaina. 
He's still a hottie, just now my husband.

On our way back home Look how young we were!

I was then blessed to be able to go back to Oahu in 2004 with my halau. By this time, I had been with my hula brothers and sisters for four years. Our kumu planned a trip for anyone who was willing and able to go. It was such a different experience for me! All the other times, it was with friends and to do tourist-y things. And to relax! This trip was all about learning Hawaiian culture and customs as it related to hula. For instance, we were tasked with waking up before the sun rose on our first morning. We chanted through the streets of Waikiki, ending our solemn march in the ocean and asking for our trip to be blessed. We visited sacred grounds, museums and learned how poi was made. We were expected to learn new chants, dances and Hawaiian words (since mastering the Hawaiian language in a week wasn't a practical expectation.) It was good to see Oahu in a different light. And some of us even had time to have some fun at night. I will admit, though, that I only went out one night. Our day schedule was too rigorous for me to party and not have any recovery time.
This trip was significant to me because I knew that I would be leaving my halau shortly thereafter. I was finishing graduate school (I had one class last that I was doing by home study) and had started my first full-time job  after graduate school. I found it very difficult to make my way to San Francisco to go to hula class and practice. Because I wasn't making it to practice and hula was just getting harder, I was falling more and more behind. And while I loved my time with my halau on this trip, studying for new dances and chats during our week in Hawaii made it painfully clear that I wasn't going to catch up unless I could invest more time. Which I couldn't. So, for me, this was also a farewell trip.

At the airport, on our way to Oahu!

One of those photos that reminded me of a time when I thought I was fat. Partly because my cute friend in this picture was smaller ( not her fault that this was my hang up.) If only I could talk to my younger self.  

My hula sister (& hotel mate) practicing a new hula. That's our hula brother taking a photo to the right. And I wish I could remember who took this one.

All my hula brothers and sisters. Some of whom I don't know! My halau has several classes so I was closest to those who attended the same class.

Ah, 2005 is when I got more into blogging and finally have old posts to reflect upon. Like this one when I want to remember how truly craptastic a "hotel" room can be. Man. And this nice post as well as this humbling AKA moded moment. And then this last post to remind me just how great a vacation it had been. My friend and I had never traveled together prior to this trip. We were amazed just how well we got along and how in sync we were when it came to vacationing. We determined that we should vacation together when we grow old. We were smart to realize that it would be a looooooong time before we could ever do that again. Hubbies and children have a way of changing your lives:)

In 2006, the gal I had vacationed with in 2005 got married in Hawaii. She got married at The Kahala so we vacationed on Oahu again. It was a beautiful wedding and made for a wonderful vacation as well as a great escape from a job I wasn't fond of. Oh, the memories. 

As I wrote, I had to skip 2007 because we were saving for the wedding. But we went back in 2008 for our nuptials and boy, did I blog about it!

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Of course, my brand-spankin' new husband subjected me to a crazy hike on our honeymoon so I blogged about that. (More posts about the wedding can be found here and here.) 
Moving on to 2009. This was the year I knew The Man and I would try to have a baby. My friends and I decided to have one last hurrah before that happened. While we did nothing close to wild partying, it was more celebrating that we could have a relaxing, cocktail-filled vacation without babies under foot. 

Impostor Drink - filled with our own concoction! Shhhh ...

Cheers by the pool and  ocean.

Hot tubbin' with the ladies

A beautiful North Shore rainbow

It was a lot of fun. We decided to stay at the Turtle Bay Resort and it felt funny being back at the place where I got married. I definitely missed The Man because that place now holds so many memories for me.

Ah, then 2010. The Man proposed this idea when I was near the end of my maternity leave - "Hey, what do you think about just me and you going to Hawaii? Your parents could watch The Bun and we could go for a few days. What do you think?" I was so thrilled and terrified about this idea. I love going to Hawaii and it's my favorite place on earth. Why not?

Why not?! I'm breast-feeding my teeny-tiny 4 month old. How can I be away from her for 5 days?! I could already hear the judgement in other mommies' voices. But The Man and my parents reassured me that this was a good idea because as she got bigger, it wouldn't be as easy for The Bun to have her parents gone for a few days. So I stock piled as much breast milk as possible and took a portable pump while on vacation.

The pump became our traveling gnome. 

The pump enjoyed picturesque views.

The pump enjoyed our gorgeous hotel balcony view.

Had to be one photo sans pump. How different we look from those fresh faced lovers on their first Hawaiian vacation!

Then 2011 was the year that we took The Bun on her first trip to Hawaii! She had so much fun. We went with my parents, too, so we stayed at a military hotel on Waikiki Beach. The Man and I learned from that experience exactly why people with children opt for condos and townhouses rather than hotels. It is too much money paying for every meal and snack! It was a good trip that ended on a sour note, though. Our return flight was cancelled and Hawaiian Airlines handled it so poorly that I lost my $h*t. I also wrote a letter when we finally got home. They somewhat made it up to us by giving all of us 50% vouchers for our next flight. My friend told me ATA gave her free flights every time her flight was cancelled. But ATA also went out of business so I'll take what I can get from Hawaiian Airlines.

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In 2012, The Bun and I went back for a Girls' Trip after a really tough period. It was great to share our experiences with the little girls. We lamented how it's definitely different than our last Girls' Trip but we knew that's the way it was going to be even back then. We also stayed in a very nice condo at Turtle Bay resort. It was perfect! it was on the 1st floor, right outside was the pool and less than a two minute walk from the beach. Truly perfection. I should also note that the only way I could afford staying there is because 1) I have bargain-finding whizs for friends and 2) we split it four ways.

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Cutie pies and, hopefully, future best friends.

Because the vouchers we received from Hawaiian Airlines back in 2011 were going to expire at the end of the year, we decided to just go ahead and plan another trip to Hawaii in 2012.  

Watching planes take off at the beach near our cottage (we stayed on a base in Kaneohe)

View from our balcony.

Loved the views we saw from our cottage. It was secluded and peaceful.

On a boat ride to the Kaneohe Bay Sandbar.

Look at that face. LOVED the sandbar!

Here we are in 2014. OK, I admit it. After reminiscing over all my trips to Hawaii, I realize I'm a lucky gal. A blessed gal. I'm thankful for all the times I've been able to go. They have been so wonderful. But I have to figure out how to get us back there. Do you know The Bun has told us and her Nana & Papa that she wants to go to Hawaii for her 5th birthday? I swear, SWEAR, I did not plant that in her brain. It sounds like something I would do but I didn't! I was so surprised when she told me. So then I thought maybe her Nana has made some suggestive comments to her but she also swears that The Bun came up with this on her own. 

Here's the thing: The Bean is set to make his grand entrance at the end of July. Do we try to do it before or after he's born? No matter what, I know we need to be in a cottage, townhome or condo because, regardless of one little one or two, it is so much easier when we vacation in a home-like setting. 

All right, I'm putting it out there. I will figure out how to make this happen! For The Bun!:)

Meet my best friend ... and a new bathroom ally

Even though I've gained about five pounds, I've had trouble sleeping since nearly Day One of this pregnancy. I was just uncomfortable from the get go. And when I wanted to sleep with more pillows, I knew it was time to bring out the big guns. Specifically, the Snoogle.
When I was pregnant with The Bun and became uncomfortable at night, I tried using several pillows. Then I bought a body pillow similar to this for $20 at Target. It did the trick for a few weeks but then I was having restless sleep again. I was skeptical to buy anything else because what if that didn't work? I don't think you can return a pillow and then I would be stuck with this huge thing that I would have to throw out because it took up too much room and wasn't even helping me sleep.
Thanks be, I decided to put the Snoogle on my baby registry even thought it was for me and not The Bun. I mean, happy mama = happy baby, right? Well, a good friend went and bought it and it has to be one of the best baby shower gifts I received.
I had bought a nice sage-colored cover for it shortly after the baby shower but the damn thing pilled almost immediately. So when The Man unearthed it this time around, I went and bought this cover for it:

I know, it totally clashes w/ the quilt but it helps me sleep better so I got over that real quick. It also has a zipper unlike the sage one which folded over like a typical pillow cover. The zipper makes it so much easier to put on.

I still wake up once a night but the Snoogle has helped tremendously. When I have it face the other way and it's more in the middle of the bed, I often find my husband cuddling it when I wake up! And when The Bun sleeps with us one a week, I also find her spooning this pillow. It is an amazing invention.

This might be narcissistic (the fact that I'm writing "this might be narcissistic" kind of guarantees that it is, doesn't it?) but I was reading some old posts from 2005 and I found myself laughing at the the things I wrote about. I admit, and The Man always tell me, that I crack myself up. Doesn't everyone crack themselves up? I mean, if you don't get your humor then who the heck will?
Anyway, I miss it. I miss remembering to write things down that make me laugh so I can look back and laugh all over again. There are so many small incidents that happen in my life that brighten my day. I want to do that again, if I can.

This isn't necessarily funny but worth a mention. At my job, there are unisex one-toilet bathrooms that have poor ventilation. Let me be frank - one is at the end of the hall near the stairs and when one of the dudes blows it up, it makes the whole first floor reek. When it's really bad, like exotic food hitting someone the wrong way, it wafts through the air so potently that it also hits the second floor. MY floor.
Anyway, it happened one fateful day and my poor colleague on the 1st floor had to shut her door because it was so bad. When I got a whiff of it, I called her and she confirmed that the 1st floor bathroom was the victim of a lunch gone bad in a poor man's stomach. We joked how we wished the smell could be seen (for example, purple smoke) so we could get some warning and try to shield ourselves from the offensive odor. She then went on to tell me that she read somewhere about PooPourri and maybe we, as a department, needed to purchase it for occasions such as these.
I had not heard of it so, because I'm a curious gal, immediately looked it up online. The description reads:

• Stop embarrassing odor before you go. This bathroom freshener's natural essential oils create a film on the surface of the water, trapping odor at it's source.
• The x-large 8 oz bottle is the perfect size for your busiest bathroom at the home OR office
• Up to 400 uses.
• All-natural, non-toxic, biodegradable. Never tested on animals.
• Made in the USA.

"What an interesting product!" I thought. Then I promptly forgot about it because I had a ton of work waiting for me.
Imagine my surprise when this showed up on my doorstep. Literally -

When I went to look it up, I evidently put that bad boy in my Amazon cart and The Man, when he signed on to order something else, thought I had wanted the PooPourri but forgot about it and kindly ordered it with his stuff. He promptly forgot all about it. So when I asked him why he ordered it, he said, "Well, I thought you wanted it because you put it in the cart."
So there it is. The Man and I are unexpected owners of PooPourri.

I've been sitting on this for months

Seriously. My rationale was that, while extremely personal, I would end up blogging about this regardless of the outcome because it would greatly impact me and writing about it would be therapeutic, no matter what.
But then I got sick. Not just my typical "bad cold" that knocks me down but bronchitis for the first time in my life. And all I could take for it was an inhaler! Then The Bun got sick with a bad cold (not bronchitis, thank goodness), The Man worked graveyard and by then, it was Christmas and New Years! All the meanwhile, I've been learning my still-new-to-me job as well as my very new-to-me boss (the boss who hired me retired shortly after I started so the new boss is new to everyone!) so I didn't and still don't have much time to do anything at work other than work ... Don't pretend no one blogs at work:p
With all this going on, it's been a challenge to do much else outside of keeping our household going 'round. PLUS remember those two adorable pups I have? So I've got a sassy, cutie pie baby girl and two trouble makin' pups ... and a hot hubby in a pear tree. That's quite a bit in my world.
Surely, though, I could've found time to write. Right? Chalk it up to ... I just didn't feel like it.
Anyway, then today came and I checked out my handy app (which I need because this mama loses track of dates, times and is extremely dependent on her outlook calendar to tell her where to go every day) and I figured it was time to share:


Please meet Coffee Bean:


Why Coffee Bean? I haven't had a full night's sleep since October. This kiddo has somehow woken me up at least once a night since then. Plus, let's face it. He's going to be a latte-colored baby:)
Yes, we were told The Bean is a boy. I'm waiting until my next appointment in two weeks before letting everyone know of our news and also waiting until the next ultrasound before getting rid of The Bun's old clothes. Too many stories of misread ultrasounds!
So that's my semi-secret. A baby has been percolating and we pray every day that The Bean will be physically and mentally healthy and ready to make his grand entrance this summer.

- Posted using BlogPress via iPhone

Cleansing my little heart out

I can't believe I forgot to write about this experience. In September, after my sister and her family came to visit, I did a 10-day cleanse. I did it for many reasons but mainly because I knew I hit an all-time low when I had fast food for breakfast, lunch and dinner one Saturday. And, not to my surprise, I hit an all-time high with my weight, post-baby.
I had friends on FaceBook who were doing a cleanse at about the same time. They got such good results! In addition to losing weight, they wrote how they feel more energetic, have less physical issues and just all-around loved it. They talked about how it was made from only organic superfoods. They talked about how it tasted good (it admittedly looks like it would taste horrible.) They talked about how it fired up their metabolism.
I needed to change my lifestyle and I sure as heck needed to help my metabolism. So I did it. It wasn't the easiest thing in the whole wide world but it was doable and I did it.
I lost 8 lbs. after 10 days.
I wished I had lost more because all of my friends lost 10 lbs. but I kind of diverted from the plan the last two days so I couldn't be disappointed with my results. They were still good. Here's the thing, though - because I ordered more of it in case I wanted to continue it, I drank the power shake here and there for the next month. I went back to eating meals but I did have a shake every so often.
It really did change the way I ate. I had initially gained 2 lbs back. I thought, huh, well, I am eating meals again so it's fine.But then I lost them again. And then I lost an additional 3 lbs bringing my total weight loss a month after finishing the cleanse to 11 lbs. I was somewhat close to my Wedding Day weight again.
So I decided to do it again, almost two weeks ago. I think why it's harder to do my 2nd cleanse is because I told myself the first time that, "it's only 10 days!" And here I go again, doing it again. I want to do it, I like how I feel when I do it, but the temptation seems so much greater the second time around! Although it has been rougher, I've stuck it out. And now I'm 1 lb. away from Wedding Day weight!
My realistic goal is to lose 5 more lbs. after that. My pie-in-the-sky goal is to lose a total of 10 more lbs. But if I lost the last 5 lbs., I would extremely happy. I've also decided to go "public" with it all. I was scared to tell people because what if I failed? Or what if I relapsed and gained it all back? But after three months, I haven't.
I decided to post it on FaceBook. I also joined the Purium group so I could introduce my family and friends to Purium and help them through their cleanse by being a cheerleader and, if possible, doing it with them. How I feel about this is how I feel about yoga. I really like it and strongly encourage people to do it! Truthfully, doing it with them will also encourage ME so I'm happy to do a cleanse with them. I've already pulled a group of friends that want to do their first cleanse on December 1st. I never got to do either of my cleanses with a group.I've already started messaging my friends with tips to help them get started right (lowering their caffeine and going decaf right before their cleanse) as well as introduced them to other people they can talk to if they have questions. I think it will make the experience a lot better. The gal who introduced me to Purium lives in Hawaii so she would text and FB me but she wasn't doing it with me. Luckily, though, I was invited to join a group on FB and reading other posts about people's success stories, temptations and gripes was very comforting.
Ummm, I didn't want to be all crazy cheerleader about Purium but I really do like this company. They helped me lose weight that was sticking to me like no other! I am also able to provide my body with really healthy nutrients and they make it so easy. I admit, I'm not hitting the gym every day and it's hard being a working mom. But they helped me do something really good for my body and made it easy. The other added benefits? I'm no longer dependent on caffeine. I haven't touched soda since September either. My allergies and eczema have also gone away (I wish I know what foods causes them.) Purium has been such a great experience.

PS: Now if I can only find a yoga studio I love in my new hometown ... I have started a weekly running date with a friend so that's a start on my physical fitness goals!

Live and learn

I just got checked.

It’s hard to hear criticism about yourself. Admittedly, it is not easy to hear it from those I love, including The Man. I try hard not to get defensive but I think about all the things I do for our family and I feel unappreciated when I hear “constructive criticism”.

But I also know that any good relationship has open communication. Marriages are one of the oldest, closest relationships that a person can be part of. I know that is merely an opinion but it’s mine. I see how a marriage can deteriorate when people stop talking to each other and stop knowing how to communicate with one another. I see how manners displayed to strangers are extended to spouses. I also understand how the person you love most can also hurt you the most so it’s much easier to harden one’s self and not allow vulnerability in a relationship.

I don’t want to be in that kind of marriage.

Funny enough, all those examples are things that I’ve done at one time or another. My marriage is considered quite young, too! We’ve been married five years and dated exclusively six years prior to that. I know that I used to be a lot more open and communicative before. I choose to not address issues or discuss my feelings as much because I want to keep the peace AKA not fight or because I just don’t want to know.

Serious.

I remember thinking, “I’m not even going to ask what the hell that was about it because I don’t want to know.” I just wanted to sleep. Or eat. Or relax. Anything other than talk because I was certain we would fight. Now, let me just say that I think I’m in a relatively healthy marriage. I love my husband so much and close friends compliment our relationship. But it certainly isn’t perfect. I would be delusional after making such statements earlier.

My point is that it’s hard to hear the not so great stuff about yourself. And yesterday I was lamenting that I didn’t understand why The Bun seemed so distant with me lately and all over her Daddy. I know he’s great stuff and he’s my favorite person tooJ But I seriously felt like chopped liver and even an innocent bystander made a joke about it a couple of days ago.

When I made a comment about it last night, The Man said that we needed to bond more. My reply was something like, “What? How could we bond more?” He responded that we don’t play. We hang out, we watch TV and when she does watch TV, I’m on the phone. So we’re next to each other, he said, but we’re not interacting.

Ouch.

But true. I’ve lacked energy lately after work and I just want to relax. It’s so easy to give into her request to put on a Disney movie and just veg out. But we weren’t having quality time. When I did have spurts of energy, I do chores because I feel guilty that the house is mess. When I shared that, The Man said, “It’s OK. Just play with her. That’s a better use of your time.”

I did get a little defensive but I didn’t say anything. I let what he said digest and knew with a minute that he was right. I think what helped was his delivery, too. I’ve often told him that sometimes he talks to me like one of his employees. I think that style has served him quite well at work but it doesn’t feel like a partner is talking to me, but a rather bossy boss. So his communication style when telling me this truly helped a lot. So much so that I wrote him a note the next day letting him know that a) he’s right b) not to give me $#*t because I said that he’s right and c) I appreciated the way he told me.

I decided this morning that we were going to play tonight, even if I was absolutely beat. I was going to summon the energy and we were going to have fun! I told her this morning that she would get to pick between making a card (her current favorite craft) or baking. She chose baking. So we’ll go grocery shopping and pick a mix that she wants to make. I’m all for making things from scratch but since she’s gotten a real independent streak, I think the minimal amount of work is best at this moment.

Yes, I got checked. But I’m glad that I was able to recognize, learn and grow from it. I want to be the best wife, mom, daughter, friend, and professional I can be. It's exhausting but I have to try my best. 

Look what The Bun was up to when I got home! Have to do a quality check when she's not looking but I'm so proud of my little girl!

The Bun is FOUR

Oh my goodness, where does the time go? I know, I've got to stop saying that but my baby, once so small now barely a toddler reminds me of this just about every day. 

This year we celebrated her birthday in a place we knew she would love. Admittedly, this is not mama's happiest place on earth. In fact, I'm sure I've said it somewhere on this blog that I don't care for Disneyland. I don't hate it, in fact, if it had 1/4 of the daily visitor population, I would probably love it. But it doesn't it. It's not relaxing whatsoever. They certainly did a spectacular job making it magical but the crowds really do me in. I would take a nearly deserted beach any day.
But this isn't my birthday, this is The Bun's. So away we went to the magical kingdom!
We didn't stay at a fancy hotel. My requirements were that 1) it was clean 2) had a shuttle service 3) had a full complimentary breakfast 4) Wasn't going to break the bank. The Hampton Inn did the trick!
I don't like the idea of lining Paris Hilton's pockets (in fact, I did look to see if the Hiltons still profit from the Hilton hotel chains but I couldn't figure it out in my brief internet search so I just gave up.) But this hotel got good Yelp reviews and met my aforementioned requirements.
We were all very happy with our accommodations. The staff were helpful and the rooms were nice. Nana & Papa could go with us to Disneyland but leave when they wanted to, catching the shuttle back to our hotel. Granted, the walk from the front of Disneyland to where the shuttle picked us up was a bit ridiculous for the elderly but they were great sports. Papa rented the motorized wheelchair so he could keep up and Nana even took a spin when he grew tired and wanted to rest. She drove the wheelchair just as slowly as she walked because (I think) she was terrified of running someone over but at least she wasn't exhausted.
The only thing I would change about our trip is spending more time in California Adventure than Disneyland. We only had three days and almost didn't go to CA because we hadn't covered all of Disneyland. But on our last day after lunch, we decided to check it out. So glad we did! I don't know if there are less people there or the way they build that park is to make it feel like there are less people but it was far more roomy. I could breathe a little better and not feel like I was riding on someone's heels and vice versa.
I was under the impression that CA was more adult-like but there were plenty of things for The Bun to ride and see. If we go back, we would reverse our time, spending two days in CA and then one day in Disneyland. The water & lights show, World of Color, was so beautiful! My aunt told my mom about it so we made it a point to check it out. We lucked out because we knew nothing about fast passes (didn't realize that going to D-land ten years ago made me a novice!) but found a spot we could view the show. The Bun was a bit antsy waiting the 15 minutes before it started but it was well worth it. So beautiful. I think I may have liked it more than her! Anyway, if we go back, we want to spend way more time exploring California Adventure because we only scratched the surface.
Here are some of my favorite photos:

So happy to be in the park. And gussied up in a dress her Nana almost forgot she bought! (Had to do the maternity hairband trick to make it fit but it worked!) Best of all, she felt like a princess.

A rare photo of the grandparents. They were so happy to see their granddaughter happy.

Princess Tiana? Well, we weren't going for that look but she keeps being called her so I guess we'll take it! So funny because a little girl passed us in line and said, "Hi Tiana!" and my girl frowned and said to me, "I'm not Tiana, I'm Ava!"

This was birthday dessert #1 at the Carnation Cafe. We figured it was OK for her to wear her birthday button all three days since it was her birthday celebration:)

In Tomorrow Land, there is an Iron Man area . This was the only place The Man asked we go see so we had to check it out! Here The Bun is virtually getting fitted for the Iron Man suit. Because a princess can be a super hero too.

Guess Papa also likes Minnie because he snuck in for a photo opp!:) 
The birthday girl wanted to rock a gown all three days but I only remembered to bring two. I think Nana was disappointed in me. Yes, she does own a third ball gown. Got to thank Nana for keeping The Bun fabulous.

She loved Minnie so much, we fell in line again the next day. I think The Bun wanted to take a photo with Minnie when she was dressed in her best and because it was her actual birthday:)

Loved that Mickey gave her a bow and his attendee said, "Your Majesty, we wish you a very happy birthday!"

Not sure if she knows who Daisy is but she has two friends named Daisy in preschool so she wanted a photo.

Birthday dessert #2 and #3:) (We didn't know they give a complimentary birthday dessert.) This was at the Blue Bayou next to my favorite ride, Pirates of the Caribbean. Not sure if it's a repeat because it was quite pricey but am glad we dined there for The Bun's birthday lunch.

We knew that her pal was going to be in Disneyland at the same time but we made no plans to meet up because we knew we would be busy with our families. But we ran into her, anyway! The Bun's bud is in the middle (her mom is one of my closest friends) and the little cutie on the left is her cousin. Small world, I used to work with her mom!

Wondered if there would be tears but she was perfectly fine packing up and heading home. She definitely had a great birthday

Even though vacations are no longer stress free, I have to say that this one was the least stressful. Maybe because she's older or because we chose to drive instead of fly but this trip could certainly be a repeat if she wants to go back for her birthday next year. The Man and I truly had a good time. It was so nice to spend time with her and be able to include her Nana and Papa too. I know they treasure moments like these. I definitely do. 

Our baby girl is FOUR. I was all fine and good until she told me the night we returned from our trip, "Mommy, I don't need a diaper anymore. I'm four!" And would you believe that made me cry? Of all things, THAT made me think time is about to fast forward and she would next choose an out-of-state university. (Of course, reality smacked me over the head the next morning because while she said she didn't need an overnight diaper anymore, me doing laundry first thing this morning said otherwise.) Ah, I love her so much.

Traffic Feed

I admit, I visit my own blog maybe twice a week now. I remember when I would visit it every day because it served as a homepage for all the blogs I would read. But Facebook has long since replaced Blogger as my go to for daily news on friends. and those eho arent friends but are on my feed. (Effin' FB, you seductive wench with your easy ways!)
Decided to peruse my blog since its 2:48 AM and im oretty caught up on FB. Glanced over at the live feed to see who visited. Something I rarely do now but, thanks to two glasses of wine from happy hour that are now keeping me up, Im back on my blog. Anyway, I noticed one visitor read an entry of mine from 2007. So I read the blog post.
It was about my engagement shoot and my old college roommate's wedding. I raved about our photography session (which is funny because now that we know a lot more from experiences with other photographers, it wasn't as spectacular as I once raved nor were the photos) and went into great detail about the wedding.
I used to write about so many things! I know, I know. There are too many entries in which I write that I miss writing and how I blame the ease of Facebook. Same old tired rant. But when I get a chance to read old entries, I'm floored by how much I used to write. And then I reminisce.
Got to be better about it. It's just so damn tricky to make the time.

The Bun's First Day of Preschool

(Posted two weeks later)
So proud of her! She had such a great attitude in the morning. No tears from her ... Or mama! It is a much busier place than her day care but she adjusted like a champ! According to her teachers, she was reserved but friendly. And helpful! If only I can get her to be as helpful at home;)
In the two weeks she's been there, The Bun has already made two "best friends". I'm not sure if she knows what a best friend really is but the afternoon said they're very nice.
I told The Man I was concerned she would be attracted to kids that aren't very nice (I call them frenemies-kids who say they like you but than do mean things). I admit, these are the kind of kids I was drawn to when I was younger and relationships with frenemies are so unhealthy!) Especially since there was one child her day care provider said was The Bun's best friend. But The Bun would tell me at home how this child would behave and this kid sounded like a bully. I worried that she would have the same bad habit about picking friends as her mama. But these two girls she calls her friends sound like a good bunch:)
I hope she continues to have a wonderful time. Knowing The Bun is having a happy childhood makes the daily grind well worth it.

Growing, growing, growing.

2013 has brought so many changes in our lives.

I’m grateful for all the blessings my family has received. I got a great new job. Practically at the same time, we bought a home that is really fantastic for our family and in a good school district.

With all these blessings, comes change. As I grow older, I realize that with time, in general, there will always come change. I know I’ve gotten to be much more sentimental lately but getting older does this to me. I argue that becoming a parent also does this to me!

I spent 25+ years wanting to grow up so I could do things I couldn't do before. Moving up grades, going to high school, learning to drive, going to college, getting a good job … always striving to complete something or accomplish something so I can move on to the next challenge. Time didn’t feel so fast.

Now that I’m in my 30s and a mama, time just flies!

I promise, I have a point. I know I ramble like a little old lady but I’m getting there.

Today we said goodbye to The Bun’s day care provider. Monique has helped take care of The Bun since she was 4 ½ months old. It was scary, the idea of a stranger taking care of my helpless baby. So, so scary. But Monique came strongly recommended by a mom in my Mommy’s Group who entrusted two of her kids with Monique! One was only a month older than The Bun. I thought that was a pretty good testimonial.

At first, my parents (primarily my mom) watched The Bun four days a week, Monique watched her for one. As time went by, we knew we could trust Monique to take good care of her. And my parents also needed the rest because of illnesses and age. For the past year, Monique watched The Bun for three days, my mom for two. I feel so blessed to be able to have such an arrangement and blessed to have the peace of mind that my baby was well cared for.

But now she’s nearly four years old. Preschool aged. And with all those other changes like moving to and working in a different city, taking The Bun to Monique’s was also no longer convenient. It added about 40 minutes to my commute. All these factors were telling us it was time to move The Bun from a day care provider to a school setting in our new hometown. So smack dab in the middle of escrow (well, when it was looking like we were good to close), we found The Bun’s school.

We gave Monique four weeks notice because we wanted to give her that respect. This woman was part of the small village that raised the amazing little girl we have now. Just like The Man and my parents, I see little bits of Monique in The Bun’s mannerisms. So I think it’s understandable why this goodbye is a little bittersweet. This wonderful caretaker did her job and did it well.

With change also comes anxiety. Remember, I’m the one who, in addition to becoming sentimental is also filled with anxiety when it comes to change. The Bun will have exposure to so many new and foreign things to us. New teachers and lots of new classmates. Will they be kind to her? Will any bully her? Will she love it there? Will she pick up bad habits?

I think not-so-secretly, the village would love to keep The Bun in a bubble. If we could keep time exactly as it is, I think we would all be content. But that’s just not how life works. We have to roll with the punches, try to prepare ourselves as much as possible but also know that we can’t prepare for everything.

Monique doesn't own a computer so she will never find this blog. But I just want to thank her for her huge role in the Bun’s life and for being part of our village. (And if you can believe it, I have tears in my eyes as I write this. Damn my age, motherhood and nostalgia:/)

Happy Birthday to The Man

“What do I love even more than being married to you? Being married to you and raising our beautiful family together. Happy Birthday to my wonderful husband.” (Thanks, Carlton cardsJ)

This card is perfect for you because it’s absolutely true.

A long time ago, I was content simply being a couple. You had other thoughts, however, and convinced me we should get a dog. So we did. Then, so that pup wouldn’t get lonely, we got another one. Piko and Pili immediately won me over. Well, Piko did. Pili won me over after she stopped covering herself in her own poop. And then they both completely had my heart when they both stopped eating poo! (My gosh, they were disgusting creatures.)

Then my dreams came true when you proposed and we got married almost a year later. I thought that was the best of the best. But then you said that our parents weren't getting any younger. How about we try getting pregnant sooner rather than later? Well, all right.

So we did. And very easily!

Our lives aren’t effortless. Sometimes it can be very hard and it can feel like we have no time. And while I fondly remember a period in our liveswhen it felt like we had all the time in the world, what we have today is beautiful. I’m so glad you had faith that we would be great parents and have more than enough love to give all our babies. Our home is filled with love, laughter … and poop.

I’m so thankful your parents had you. I’m so thankful you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me. And I’m thankful you had the vision to see just how beautiful of a family we could be.

I love you.

 

That's right, I have a blog.

These updates are far and few between. I know. It’s just so hard to make time! If you've read my blog (and since there are probably only two of you that still do, then you have!), you know it’s a pet peeve when people say they, “Don’t have time!” Lies. Well, for most people. I know I have time even though it doesn't feel like it. Many a nights I zone out and watch TV or lazily surf the internet in bed. I just haven’t felt like blogging.

But quite a bit has happened.

I’m almost done with my first month at the new j-o-b. Crazy! Can’t believe it’s been almost a month. It's crazier that it’s been more than a month since I said goodbye to my old one. Even though I spent over six years at my former employer, it was very easy to leave. I honestly had no doubt when I initially made the decision to leave but it’s good to know that even now it feels 100% right.

We're nearing towards the end of the home buying journey. I just wired over a big old chunk of change to the title company this morning. Those words actually don’t do it justice. Let me try this: I just wired a heapin’ large sum of money that I would never ordinarily see in my checking account and probably never will.

Yes, that’s much more accurate. We are scheduled to do a walk-through tonight and have keys in hand by this weekend.

I hope I grow to love it. I think I will. I wish it was what we thought our next home would be – our forever home – because the thought of going through this whole selling and buying process again makes me ill. Oh, and moving! But I think (and hope) we will be here for a while. One thing at a time, though! The next things we have to tackle: bathroom renovation, minor cosmetic repairs, one medium repair (we want to move a big L-shaped bookcase that is mounted to the wall which means patching, painting and baseboard installation), and then moving.

We have two storage units packed like a Jenga game! I'm not exaggerating, we packed those units to the hilt. And we still have our apartment to pack up. One big regret is not selling furniture to the buyers of our old home. I think we just didn’t know what kind of home we were going to get so we wanted to hold on to everything. But now we have furniture that fit a 1700sq ft home that will somehow have to fit our new home is a cozy 1400. Clearly, it's not going to happen. We have to purge but it’s tricky knowing how we want to arrange things without doing the whole trial-and-error method. It’s just very hard for me to see how things look laid out unless I actually see it. I wish I had an eye for that kind of thing.

I know, first world problems!

Well, I’ll leave you with photos of our new home. We downsized our living quarters but upgraded in terms of school district. That what I keep in mind whenever I think about how we spend more money for less of a home - it’s in a good neighborhood, in a good school district, in a city I desired in which to raise my family and just one city over from my parents’ home. Oh, and 15 minutes from my new job. Overall, I’m truly a blessed and happy gal.

Laziest term ever: "I was gonna but ..."

Which is exactly what happened to me. I planned on writing so many times but these past five (nearly six) weeks have just been crazy busy. And sure, to be quite honest, I’ve had plenty of pockets of time to write something down but I just didn’t feel like it. I didn’t want to get in front of our desktop which is inconveniently placed next to our flatscreen TV that, until we moved into our small apartment, I had no idea radiated so much heat. Found out pretty quickly when we suffered through a heat wave.

I spend the last few weeks of my job tying up loose ends. I thought those last four weeks would be relaxing and that I would have plenty of time to do personal things at work. While it wasn’t as chaotic as when I was going full-charge, it didn’t really slow down. I just enjoyed more of what I was going because I was meeting with my favorite volunteers, writing up executive summaries on my accounts and saying goodbye to colleagues and volunteers. It was almost a celebration of all my six years with the company. Unfortunately, it takes a person leaving for it to happen but it was nice to feel appreciated by so many people. I cherish getting to have the opportunity to breathe and say a proper farewell to those I worked so close with. Something that just never takes priority until a person leaves. I know that I’ve done it plenty of times.

Anyway, here I am. After six plus years, I’m the new gal again. I knew it wouldn’t be fun not knowing the systems and it will take a full year to understand my job and company because nothing beats firsthand experience. So I try not to be impatient with myself. But I really like being in a position in which I’m the seasoned individual offering to help. Patience, patience. Not one of my virtues yet I’m always put in positions where I need to exercise it;)

Oh yes, the home. Well, on top of everything else, we put another bid on a home. We found a town home in the area we liked. It wasn’t our dream home. Our dream home is a one story, stand alone home with 3+ bedrooms/ 2+ bathrooms, a two car garage with a driveway in a good school district. This was not in our price range. There wasn’t even a fixer-upper that met these requirements. There was also very little to even look at. We had been told by realtors that inventory would pick up in the summer. It did not.  We then came up with a list of must haves: same minimum amount of bedrooms and bathrooms, one bedroom and full bathroom had to be downstairs if it was a two story, good neighborhood and good school district. These were absolutely essential.

We attended the open house for this townhouse but wrote it off because it didn’t meet our requirements. It had a very small bedroom and only a partial bathroom on the first floor. This wouldn’t do – we needed a full bath for our parents in case they stayed with us because going up and down the stairs is becoming a real challenge. While it was a very nice home in a good neighborhood in a very good school district, we left thinking nothing more about it. Then we went to the other open houses. Pitiful. They were either beautiful homes in sketchy neighborhoods or over-priced funky homes in good neighborhoods. So we revisited the townhouse we initially dismissed. We asked our realtor if she could find out if HOA would allow us to renovate the bathroom downstairs to include a shower. (Oh, we also were looking for a home without HOA but clearly that battle was not won.) When our realtor told us that we could add a shower, we decided to take the big leap and put in an offer.

Let’s talk about that for a minute. We both liked the townhouse a lot because it had been flipped and was absolutely beautiful. But, again, it wasn’t our dream home. The Man was seriously sad about the fact it was a tandem garage because, really, unless we had two smart cars, we weren’t going to fit two cars in there. He said, “I guess I took for granted that most homes have a two car garage and a driveway.” (Our last home has a two car garage but no driveway.) The driveway is so close to our neighbors that we can literally high-five them if we reached out of our car doors. Pretty close quarters. We also didn’t like the idea of a shared wall. The Man also wanted a real backyard but, just like our old home, we got a sliver of a backyard. Truthfully, I don’t mind it because we aren’t stellar gardeners. I liked that the yard was already finished because in our last home, we never landscaped it so we never used it. Lastly, the HOA monthly fee was 89% higher than what we paid for our last home. That one is like a sucker punch. Ooof, it hurts.

You might wonder, “Why the HELL would you want to make an offer, then?!” Well, we knew that if we wanted a home in a nicer neighborhood and school district, we would have to either spend a lot more or spend about the same as our old home for a much smaller living space. This townhouse is roughly 300 square feet smaller. It’s also in a very good neighborhood in a city we desired. The school district was my first choice and the school assigned to the home is the second best elementary school in the district. The middle school is #1 and then all the kids funnel into one high school which is a pretty good high school. Yes, this is all about The Bun. Remember? And boy, it really is about location, location, location because the school district is about all this city has going for them. I mean, it’s a great town but there isn’t much to see or do. The home prices for this city are so much higher than our former residence because the school district is much better and, honestly, that does affect the appeal of the neighborhood. We used the websites, Crime Mapping & Megan’s Law, and there have been no issues. We used those same websites for our old address and the damn screen lit up like a Christmas tree.

The townhouse itself is very nice. The sellers flipped it and they did a great job. It’s quite lovely. When I showed my friends photos of the place, they said it looks a lot like our old home. But the sellers went a step further and put in crown molding, pretty hardware, a nice kitchen back splash and some other things. Other than the shower, we wouldn’t have to do much work.
After some negotiating (and by “negotiating”, I mean the sellers telling us we needed to bend over and take it. I mean, tack on another 10K to our bid) we offered the sellers 40K over asking. Please know that I don’t write this lightly, at all. I have mulled over a $50 pair of shoes for days, wondering if I really needed it, bought it and returned it because I felt so guilty. So yah, 40K over the already not-cheap asking price was something else. We both had to think about it at our work. Hubby looked at comparables in the area to see if it was a fair price while I looked at the measly inventory available and prayed. You bet I prayed. Then we talked on the phone to come together for a decision. I then called our realtor who called the sellers and they accepted the bid.

Well, that was just the start of this whole home-buying shenanigans. Oh yes, there’s more but I’ve already written so much. Suffice it to say that we are still in escrow and anticipate it will continue to be a bumpy road until the very end. 

Sell low and buy high? Just PERFECT.

We found a home we really liked. It was within our price range. We knew we had to be competitive so we offered 30K over asking price, two months of free rent so they can move without rushing and 40% down.

Nice, yes? Competitive, yes?

We were promptly and aggressively outbid by a buyer willing to pay 95K over asking price and 40% down. 

Whoa.

This happened a week ago. And we still haven't found another home we want to bid on.

Worse, I posted our predicament on FB and was promptly told my multiple FB pals that this was a trend and one person saw a home go for 200K over asking price.

Wha - WHAT?!

We're renewing the lease of our apartment for four more months. That is the minimum time they will allow us to lease and we are paying nearly $900 more a month than those with 2 year leases.

What. A. Pickle.

Happy, happy, joy, joy

I got a new job!
There, I said it. I can finally say it. Well, write it.
I have been pursuing new job opportunities for months. There were times when I came so close (like, first runner up close) only to be told that I wasn't chosen. Then there was a job opportunity that asked me, after a phone screening and two interviews, to analyze their revenue stream, propose strategies to reach their goal, and create a presentation. At this point, there were two of us left that they were considering. Because I really wanted this job, I also created a ROI (return on investment) booklet to supplement the presentation. The project was so intense that I took two days off of work to do it. A week after submitting my work, I found out that the hiring manager gave his notice. Shortly thereafter, the company admitted they needed to switch their hiring focus for his position and froze the position to which I was applying.
It has been a bumpy road.
I stopped looking for a while but, as I continued with my current employer, I realized more and more that I wasn't a good fit for the culture. I tried. Truly, I did. During my six years, it sometimes felt like it was a good fit and I was meant to be there, after all. But more times than not, it was clear I wasn't.
I know, though, that I gave it a good go. I held two positions and am thankful for the relationships I forged with those I had the good fortune to work with on a daily basis. I also know that my tenure there has shaped me into a more knowledgeable and savvy professional.
But when you know, you know.
I'm so excited for my new job! I'm nervous, too, because this is something so new and different. I don't know anyone and they don't know me. I have a lot to prove and a lot to learn. But I'm confident that it was time to make a move. Even their interview process felt right. Rather than a phone screening, 3-5 interviews, personality tests, and writing tests (which are all so common now in my field ... man, is it an employer market!), my new employer brought me in for two interviews in the span of two weeks. I first met the hiring manager and three colleagues. The next day, they contacted me and said they wanted to bring me back for a final round of interviews the following week. I then had two back-to-back 45 minute interviews. One was with three more colleagues, then the second was when the vice president and president. Then that was it!  Two days later (which was yesterday), I received an offer. In comparison to the circus shows I had been through before, this process had been unbelievably easy.
Although it was a much faster process than, say, my current employer's hiring process or the other companies I applied to, it didn't feel rushed. All the pieces seemed to come together. Remember the job opening that froze? Well, that company had used a search firm. Funny enough, the hiring manager for the position I just accepted is very good friends with the president of the search firm. When the search firm president found out I was applying, she told the hiring manager that she thought highly of me. She then asked if she could release my references to him (the job that required me to do a presentation also conducted very thorough references. In fact, it was the first time I had ever heard of requesting references to fill out a series of in-depth questions online.) My new boss ended up not contacting my references because the ones he received from the search firm were so thorough. Plus, because he was good friends with the search firm's president, her praise of me carried some weight.
My rambling does have a point. It's so true that there is a path paved for us that we sometimes can't see. It is so hard to be patient and understanding. I'm certain I constantly fail at being those two. I prayed a lot. I mean, a lot. I felt so defeated at times because I wasn't landing any of these jobs. And, in the meantime, I felt like I was floundering at work. Maybe I wasn't talented enough. Maybe I wasn't working as hard as I thought I was. Maybe I had hit the ceiling when it came to my skills and this was as far as I was supposed to go.
But then I applied to this job. And the hiring manager ends up being very good friends with the person who had interviewed me for a previous job and really liked me. And then this current job ended up having comparable pay to the job that ended up being frozen with better benefits and a long-standing and established reputation.
I'm not delusional. Work is called work for a reason. I know this place won't be perfect. But with my nervousness comes so much more excitement for this possibility. The environment seems so ... healthy! I'm really excited. I think this is going to be great for me professionally but also personally. It looks like a better work/life balance and there may be perks that we can take advantage of further down the road when it comes to The Bun's education. Did I mention that my new job is with a school?
I can't wait. God is good. My family is outstanding and extremely supportive. I am scared but so much more excited about what lies ahead.

Hope

I'm a firm believer in taking action. If I don't like something, I have to try to change it or the environment. Sometimes it's very easy. Other times, it's taking a risk and it's scary.
I'm taking action.
Here's praying and hoping!

In a slump

I think 34 is too young to have a mid-life crisis. But today, I had a little bit of a break. Not a breakdown, per se, but wondering about some of the choices I've made in my life. I was having a normal phone conversation with my sister and, out of nowhere, I slowly dissolved into tears. Not typically my MO.
I feel absolutely blessed to have a beautiful family ... but I also feel lost. I'm wondering about my worth, contribution and talent. I remember when I was more creative. What happened to that side of me? I wonder if I've traveled a path that got further and further away from creative challenges, joyful experiences and basically things that brought happiness to my life. I acted a little in college, wrote and produced pieces in grad school, even won a writing award when I graduated and now ... nothing. I do not feel an ounce bit creative.
 As my fantastic 26 year old colleague jokes (we share many of the same trials and tribulations), "You mean you're dead behind the eyes." It's terribly dark, funny, and a little bit true. When I told her I was too old, she objected. I know I'm not, really, that I have so much ahead of me but I feel too old to be lost. I'm 34, for crap's sake. I'm a wife! And a mom. I'm a grown up. I am too old to start over. I've got a family who depends on me. I can't just up and quit and go back to school. Or spend money to find my bliss. I have to work. At the very least, I can't incur debt (expecting The Man to support the family while I spend money) to figure out what I want in life.
I worry because I don't want to be one of those people who are never happy. Ugh, definitely not that. But I'm sad I haven't been able to find joy in all aspects of my life. If I had to only pick one place to be happy, though, hands down I am so thankful to have a wonderful home life.
I'm trying to sort through things and figure out what I can do to bring some of that joy back while fulfilling obligations and responsibilities. Is it taking a writing class? Acting class? One more day of yoga? I know I need to do something.
I have to end this entry on a somewhat happier note. So I'll leave with this. I will admit, my love for The Office dulled a little after Steve Carrel's character, Michael Scott, left the show. But when The Office announced that this was its last season, I was sad. It is one of my favorite shows. And, as you may know, I love to be entertained by humor. It's a wonderful escape. The Office made me so incredibly uncomfortable at times but I had to keep watching! I wanted so badly for Pam and Jim to get together and was overjoyed when they finally did. I loved many of the characters and identified with their simple lives. Such good acting and writing. The Man brought DVDs to the hospital when I was in labor. I have vivid memories laboring with The Office theme music playing quietly in the background. And I have vague memories after giving birth (the first couple months afterwards were a blur) of breastfeeding while watching The Office.
Anyway, www.dooce.com posted a video she found on YouTube which showed The Office's bloopers over eight seasons. It is positively fantastic:

Brightens my day even when I feel a bit lost. Hope it brings you chuckles, too;)

Mother's Day

By far, the best one. From start to finish, it was the kind of day I appreciate.
We leisurely started our day, in no rush. The entire family then took a stroll to our nearest Starbucks. Here's the thing: when it's just me, I can only handle taking The Bun on a 30 minute walk. When the pups come along, there are too many bodies to look after and it isn't so much fun as it stressful for this mama. So, unfortunately, the two pups stay behind on what would have been a very nice walk for them. Sad face. More back story: The Man is not fond of walks. He says it's because he walks all day on his job, up and down stairs, ladders and multiple trips throughout the job site. When he gets home, he doesn't want to do anymore walking! But on this day, he entertained my request and went along for the walk. This meant the pups could go too. I can't explain how happy this simple trip made me. I love walks and was so happy everyone could enjoy it.
Admittedly, the trip from Starbucks back to our home wasn't as relaxed because I made the fam hustle to get back. Mama had a date with a friend to go wine tasting! I used to be a member of a wine club but, when we moved, I realized that it was better for me to end my membership because I didn't drink that much wine. It was really the easiest thing to cut out of my budget. That doesn't mean I wasn't a tad bit sad. This winery (technically, wine company but I like to call them an urban winery) is my favorite because it's only 30 minutes away and has a cool view of San Francisco. Plus the place itself is really pretty and I just feel happy when I'm there. I had convinced my friend to go there when my complimentary wine tasting benefits were coming to an end (membership had its perks) and she fell in love with it too. So my friend proposed we wine taste on Mother's Day sans children. Oh, how nice it was! The weather was gorgeous, just perfect. We sat outside, drank wine and ate a delicious lunch. This is one of my dearest friends and we have such a difficult time getting together so it was a great three hours of catching up, laughing and enjoying fantastic wine.
We parted ways happily so we could enjoy our own Mother's Day dinners. While it was great to have some grown up time away from the home, it was nice to reunite with The Man and The Bun. They were ready for dinner by the time I came home! We went to this local place that has become one of the hippest places in its small town. So hip that we waited an hour and a half to be seated. Surprisingly, I didn't really mind that. What I minded was that they seem to have outgrown their space and their no-reservations policy but don't have a system that's working for them quite yet. While I vowed to not go back for a long while (I adore the place but I need a break from their growing pains nonsense), it was fun way to end the day.
The Man topped off the day with a very nice gift. This mama also cut pampering out of the budget because it was the second easiest way to save money and, quite frankly, I don't have the time to trek out to the salon that houses my favorite esthetician and massage therapist. He asked me what I would like as a gift and I told him that I would love a treatment or two at this salon. The Man gave me a gift certificate so I can get a facial and massage. Whooohooo! I don't know when I'll be able to use it but it's really wonderful to know it's there.
There you have it. Nothing crazy, nothing over the top but it was fantastic and lovely. My hubby went a-walkin' even though it's not his favorite thing to do, watched The Bun and then treated us to a nice dinner. I'm very thankful for all my blessings.

The Bun and me entertaining ourselves while waiting for dinner.

It's official. No, really. It's done-done.

Two days ago, we gave the keys (and garage opener remotes) to the buyers' realtor. I've been meaning to blog about it, blog about this entire experience, but I haven't found the time. Honestly, between work, moving and a toddler, my head has pretty much been up my ass.
I didn't cry. I'm so thankful, I was worried because the day after we moved to the apartment, I cried. Twice. But having a month to deal with the move - from the time escrow closed to the time we gave up our keys - so much time has passed.
I'm a praying woman. Even when I didn't go to church which I think was a little over a decade, I've been a praying woman. Well, I'm now more than ever. Strike that, I think after the tough times last year and finally finding a church we can attend as a family, my prayers have been a lot more meaningful. And specific.
While our first loan was pre-approved, our second loan was denied. And every day there are articles in the news stating how home prices continue to rise. So now we know the housing hit rock bottom and we're on an upswing. Not good for home buyers like us who can't even look yet because homes are flying off the market.
I'm thankful for our health. I'm so thankful for The Man and our strong relationship. I'm thankful to have a clever, easy-going, beautiful little girl and two adorable pups who make my days better. But I pray every day that we can get this show on the road before we get priced out of the market.